Testimonials

Through the years, we’ve received some thank you notes and emails. Here are a few excerpts:

“Dear Elves, My nurse from Casey House came to see me today and delivered your beautifully wrapped gift. My gift was a pair of wonderful gloves for the winter season. I would like to thank Pere Noel and your great organization for the surprise!!

Merci and Bonne Annee”

Client of Casey House – Toronto ON (2015)

“To Little Elves Foundation,

How can I express my deepest gratitude for your many years of faithful kindness to us? Each year is so unique and quite overwhelming for all of us. We all get quite excited to see these boxes come and to look forward to opening them to see the decorated gifts done with love and generosity.

I leave my buddies to choose what gift they would like. It is their joy as they choose what speaks to them. Thank you for giving beautiful people “a choice in life” that says “for me”?

May God continue to bless you, your volunteers and people who give so generously in every way. You are God’s

Blessings to you and yours.”

Nicky, AIDS St-John – NB (2015)

“Many thanks for making our Holiday Party such a hit! Our clients were thrilled with the wrapped gifts for teir children & to have a special something wrapped for themselves!! The blankets, towels & warm weather wear were all popular gifts! We could not have put those smiles on their faces without out!!

All the best to your employees & volunteers for a happy, healthy 2016!”

PASAN: Prisoner’s HIV/AIDS Support Action Network – Toronto ON (2015)

“A Big Thank You I am truly amazed year after year to recive your wonderful boxes of gifts for our dear clients, our friends. The way you took the time to wrap and decorate were quite wonderful. How sensitive and loving of you. The gifts are always given out with joy and excitement for both staff and our buddies. You will never know how much you make Christmas for others who have so little.

Our wish for you and yours: May 2015 be a year of surprises, love and wellness, good, good people. Blessings”

AIDS St-John – NB (2014)

“Hello Little Elves, We have received our package order. Thank you very much for the wonderful festive wrapping on these much appreciated gifts. We look forward to distributing them to our clients.

Best wishes”

PEERS Victoria Resources Society – Victoria BC (2014)

“Eight boxes with gifts for more than 250 of our participants arrived today from Fondation Les P’tits Lutins / The Little Elves Foundation in Montreal! Thank you for bringing so much joy and cheer to the Centre!

Dr Peter Centre – Vancouver BC (2014)

“I just wanted to let you know that we (Project Kathleen) received your Christmas package today. Thank you so much for what you do. The residents are really looking forward to opening the gifts. Happy holidays and best wishes.”

Project Kathleen – Calgary AB (2014)

“Dear Elves, My nurse from Casey House came to see me today and delivered your beautifully wrapped gift. My gift was a pair of wonderful gloves for the winter season. I would like to thank Pere Noel and your great organization for the surprise!!

Merci and Bonne Annee”

Client of Casey House – Toronto ON (2015)

“I would like to thank your group for the nice gift I recieved from the Dr Peter Centre a few days ago! I am HIV pos/HepC pos / and had throat cancer 12 years ago. And thanks very much for your gift. It helps a lot…

*Have a wonderful Day !!!* *Thank You*”

Client of Dr Peter Centre – Vancouver BC (2013)

“13 boxes of gifts just arrived for our Day Health program participants from Fondation Les P’tits Lutins / The Little Elves Foundation in Montreal! Thank you so much for your Santa-esque generosity!”

Dr Peter Center – Vancouver BC (2013)

“Thank you so much for the holiday presents.

Our Clients are going to be very happy and appreciative with the gifts for themselves and their children…”

Prisoners with HIV/AIDS Support Action Network – ON (2013)

“Once again you made Christmas a happier time for many people. Clients are thrilled to have a gift just for them!

Thank you again for your ongoing work.”

AIDS Saint John – New Brunswick (2012)

“The Little Elves gifts have come to be a greatly anticipated tradition amongst Casey House clients, and were distributed throughout the holiday season to both our residents in the house as well as our clients in the community. So many of our clients struggle with social isolation during the holiday season, and to receive a heartfelt gift to unwrap on Christmas Day is such a rare and appreciated pleasure for them.

We are grateful for the comfort and joy your gift has given our clients who so greatly need to know that there is hope, there are people to turn to and people who care.”

Casey House – Toronto ON (2012)

“Merci beaucoup!

Our participants asked me to let you know how much they appreciate these gifts and how grateful they are to you.

We love the Little Elves! :)”

Dr Peter Center – Vancouver BC (2012)

“We received and distributed the wonderful gifts you provided for our PHAs [persons living with HIV-AIDS].

Just as in previous years, the Little Elves have really ensured that the PHAs receive items of beauty and use which are extremely appreciated.

Thank you for supporting the PHAs in the Greater Moncton area.”

SIDA – AIDS Moncton – New Brunswick (2012)

“We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to you and your organization for the wonderful presents for our clients.

Your generosity is crucial to making Christmas brighter for people with HIV and AIDS in Regina. APSS’s budget is very small with much of our budget comes from donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, community groups, and fundraising We are not in a
position to provide gifts for the people we serve so receiving gifts like this for our clients is so heartwarming.

When I took a gift to one of our hospital bound clients, he began to cry. He has been in the hospital since February of last year because he is not healthy enough to go home and unfortunately there is no space in the care homes at this time. So, being able to give him a gift
(which turned out to be his favorite chocolates) was priceless. It is moments like this that make our job so rewarding.”

AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan – Regina, SK (2012)

“Thank you for the wonderful blanket this year. It will come in handy.”

D. – Toronto, ON (2011)

“Just wanted to let you know that the gifts arrived this morning safe and sound. The timing is GREAT – we start Holiday parties this weekend, so everyone will have something to receive.

I know our residents and clients look forward to this every year – there’s really nothing like the anticipation of opening a gift, especially when some of them will not receive any other type of gift.”

Fife House – Toronto, ON (2011)

“Merci à tous! J’habite à Fife House, Toronto.

Thank you so much for the beautiful towel and excellent Caprina soap! And so elegantly wrapped!

The work of Les P’tits Lutins is very important and so greatly appreciated!”

WGB, Toronto ON (2011)

“(…) yesterday we received the wonderful gifts you collected and made up our boxes for our PHA clients. The gifts will be delivered to them on December 22, along with a Christmas food box for each. Thank you for your generous assistance to help make our clients’ Christmas this year a little more special.”

SIDA/AIDS Moncton Inc. – Moncton, NB (2011)

“We received our gifts last week — Little Elves are awesome! Whatever would we do without you? Our PLWHIV look forward so much to what you send.”

AIDS St-John – NB (2011)

“Thank you for the gifts. They arrived yesterday.

Christmas will be made so much brighter for a lot of people because of The Little Elves.”

Bruce House, Ottawa, ON (2010)

“(…) Thank you for your generous donation of wrapped gifts for distribution to the clients of Casey House throughout the holiday season. Many of our clients struggle with social isolation and financial difficulties. To be unexpectedly given a beautifully wrapped gift at Christmas time is such a rare pleasure for many of our clients, and they are so appreciative of your gifts.

Casey House, Toronto, ON (2009)

“We so appreciate your generous spirit and the thoughtful way in which thse gifts help our participants to experience a connection to community and the true giving that comes with the season.

Dr. Peter Center West End is more like home than home ever was for many of our clients. Many people who come here have had lives marked by trauma and neglect. They have often been rejected by family, friends and society. Challenged by HIV/AIDS, addiction or mental illness – and in many cases all three – as well as the related illnesses that plague those with compromised immunity, they have nowhere to go.

Your donation makes an important difference to the people we serve. In opening your heart to provide these special gifts, you are also offering respect, dignity and a sense of belonging to people who are most in need.”

Dr Peter AIDS Foundation, Vancouver, BC (2009)

“Your gifts are crucial to AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan work. Much of our budget comes from private donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, community groups, and proceeds from campaigns and events. So to receive gifts like this for clients makes all our hard work so worthwhile when resources are limited and to have such generosity bestowed on our organization is beyond words of gratitude.”

AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan, Regina, SK (2008)

“The wrapped gifts, candle holders, mugs, lights and other personal items helped to make sure our Residents had a special time.

Your act of kindness is a wonderful way of making a difference to our residents. Your efforts as ‘special elves’ meant that each of our residents had an extra special festive season, and continue to enjoy your donated gifts today.”

The John Gordon Home – London, ON (2008)

“(…) please accept our heartfelt thanks for you generous support and beautiful gifts. You truly helped to make the spirits bright!”

Bruce House, Ottawa, ON (2007)

“(…) thank you for the generous donations that included items such as wrapped Chritsmas gifts, herb growing kits, a floating lamp, coffee set, incense set, towel and soap, candle/stand and blanket.

You support helps to make a difference. Your efforts as «special elves» have meant that each of our residents will have an extra special festive season.”

London, ON (2007)

“I was overwhelmed when my visiting nurse from Casey House gave me a wrapped gift (from Dennis) our last visit before Christmas. I am a long term survivor that over the years has a world that has become smaller. I spent most of Dec. in hospital and was told I was hanging by a thread (renal failure this time) and may have only 2 days left. I at their insistance arranged a DNR order and cried, Nobody was there, for me anymore (people grow weary of watching someone who is so limited in mobility and mostly bedridden.) They asked if I would prefer staying in the hospital or going to Casey house to pass on. I said I wanted to go home. I had no tree this year, but managed to get a few items out of storage to try to capture the xmas spirit for what in all likely hood my last Chrismas. Your gift gave me the greatest gift of all. I couldn’t believe that total strangers would go so far out of the way to make sure I had a gift to open Dec. 25. It reminded me of the goodness and selflessness that still exists, that the real spirit of what the holidays are is about giving unconditionally, I will always remember your kind gesture, it restored my faith in humanity. God bless you for what you do, you have touched my life in ways you will never know. “

Toronto, ON

“Over the course of the last few days, I have had the pleasure of handing out most of the gifts you got for us. Many of the recipients have been African refugees who have lost just about everything. For some reason or other, they all insisted on opening their gift on the spot. To witness their gratitude was a privilege. You certainly brought a great deal of sunshine to a number of people. One exchange was particularly special and I did want to share this story with you.

There was a work of art donated which was a flat rectangular piece (on soapstone, I was not sure) with the shape of what appeared to be a woman on her knees reaching to the earth. I thought it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen and when I set eyes on it, I said: ‘That is so sad, so beautiful and so sad’. The person it was given to was a refugee from Rwanda who had lost her entire family in the 1994 genocide and I thought how appropriate she should be the recipient of such a precious gift. But she did not respond; she just kept staring at the work of art. It suddenly struck that maybe when you have lost everything, you simply cannot tolerate more symbols of suffering so I quickly told her that she did not have to take that gift and that she could simply choose another gift, which she did. But before she left, I had to ask the obvious question: ‘What were you thinking when you first saw that carving?’ And this was her answer. She said: ‘I did not understand ‘why you said this woman was sad’ because she is not sad, she is just praying’. ‘So you like it,’ I asked. ‘Very much’, she answered. ‘Then it is yours’, I said I saw despair; she saw a message of hope. These gifts? We are not the givers, we are the recipients.

On behalf of us all at the Immunodeficiency Service of the Montreal Chest Institute, I thank you and wish you and your other wonderful elves a healthy and peaceful holiday season.”

Montréal, QC

“Thank you so much my friend, I will check the mail all week if you send them now, and we can distribute the rest after the holidays if you wish or we can send them back, thank you so much, and please remember angels are not just heavenly figures, they are all among us, and I am pleased to say, once again, I am sending this message to one. Happy Holidays.”

Cape Breton, NS

“Thank you very much for the wonderful gifts you sent to our residents. They were surprised and delighted by your generosity. On behalf of the residents, please thank all the volunteers whose kindness brightened their Christmas.”

Vancouver, BC

“I am a woman living with AIDS in Toronto and my nurse from [centre] just dropped a gift to me from your organization. Not having any family support I cannot tell you how wonderful this is to have a gift to open on Christmas Morning. I guess I’m still a kid at heart even though I am a grandmother, but since my AIDS diagnoses my family has chosen to disown me, and this is one special gift. From my heart I thank you. “

Toronto, ON

“Thank you for remembering the residents at [home] this Christmas, they are very appreciative of the gifts they received. I think sometimes that they feel they have been forgotten, but a generous gesture such as the little Elves’ make every year does wonders for their morale.”

Alberta

“(…) thank you and the Little Elves Foundation for your generous donation of wrapped gifts for Christmas. The presents were handed out to our residents on Christmas day and they were overjoyed and thankful to receive them.

“Thank you for bringing some joy and lasting smiles to the faces of our residents and for brightening their holidays.”

Vancouver, BC

“(t)hank you and your amazing ‘elves’ for the wonderful that you all do leading up to the holiday season, in order that so many others who are alone or in need can feel a part of Christmas.

Your incredibly generous donation this year to [centre] of over 150 gifts for inclusion in our client gift bags assured that no one here, wether in our residential programs or our street outreach program, was without a special something gift-wrapped for Christmas Day. Thank you so much from us all!”

Toronto, ON

Tax receipts for online donations are delivered immediately by CanadaHelps, in PDF format.

Testimonials

“Once again you made Christmas a happier time for many people. Clients are thrilled to have a gift just for them!